How do you spell it?

One thing I have done a lot with my CM1 kids (9-year-olds) is to practice spelling. When I write words on the board they have already learned (the date, for example), I ask them, “How do you spell it?” From their answers to that question, it is pretty clear that most of them have no idea how to spell things.

Kids are notoriously bad at spelling, but most of them get better over time. Though I’m certainly NOT perfect, I have always been good at spelling…on paper, that is. (Ironically, spelling out loud is not my strong point; I’m a visual learner.) Luckily for me, my school never had any spelling bees, because I would have been mortified to lose.

Back to my CM1 kids: this week, they were tested on the names of different rooms in the house. I spent today grading the tests and have had quite a few laughs at their spelling. I started compiling a list, and from approximately 75 students, they came up with the following: 11 different ways to spell “living room”, 13 ways to spell “dining room”, 14 ways to spell “bathroom”, 17 ways to spell “kitchen”, and 20 ways to spell “bedroom”!